Guidelines for Effective Corporate Education Programs

Our experience, supported by international research, finds the following elements contribute significantly to an effective corporate education program.

• Commitment from the CEO and Senior Management
Unless the CEO and key senior managers believe in corporate education as an investment in the future development of the organisation it will only be treated as a business expense and be subject to fluctuations in financial performance and the sentiment of the day.

• Align Corporate Education with the Corporate Goals of the Organisation
Corporate Education needs to be approached strategically and align with corporate goals. Not only does this approach reinforce the strategic importance of corporate education but it also means the investment can be measured in line with the achievement of specific corporate goals.

• Think Outcome, Then Process
Think in terms of the learning outcomes for the organisation - the skills and capabilities employees will have in 12 months, 2 years, 3 years as a result of the program/s. Then, look at the most effective means of achieving these outcomes through formal education and training combined with informal and workplace learning.

• Undertake a Skills Audit or Capability Diagnostic
Before developing a corporate education program it is important to assess the current level of an organisation’s skills and capabilities. This becomes the baseline for measuring progress towards the achievement of the corporate goals and the return on investment from corporate education.

• Develop an Integrated Corporate Education Plan
Most organisations need a mix of skills and capabilities with employees having a diverse range of training and educational qualifications relevant to the current and future needs of the organisation. An effective corporate education plan should incorporate formal education and training programs integrated and supported with informal and workplace learning. Formal education and training programs can have a significant ripple effect into an organisation when supported by informal and workplace learning as part of an integrated corporate education program.

• Establish Performance Metrics: Corporate Education Impact Measures
The success of any corporate education program is the contribution it makes to the knowledge, capacity and capability of the organisation. Corporate Education Impact Measures need to comprise both quantitative and qualitative criteria and measure the impact on the individual and the organisation over a three, six and twelve month period after any formal education or training program is completed. As every organisation is unique, the criteria for measuring the impact of corporate education on an organisation need to reflect the particular circumstances and corporate goals of the organisation.

• Invest Sufficient Funds to Make the Corporate Education Program Effective
Our research finds the average organisation invests between 3 percent and 6 percent of payroll on corporate education, training and development. We have observed that those organisations that invest higher amounts on corporate education are usually more innovative than their competitors and also have lower employee turnover.